


The Night Before Thanksgiving

by apocryphile



Series: Unframed Candids [3]
Category: West Wing
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-21
Updated: 2012-11-21
Packaged: 2017-11-19 05:42:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/569724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apocryphile/pseuds/apocryphile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Donna, Josh and Noah spend Thanksgiving at the Bartlet farm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Night Before Thanksgiving

**Author's Note:**

> Prompted by the lovely [Ann-Who](http://ann-who.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr.
> 
> Happy holidays, gang!

“I’m so sorry, Abbey, I feel like we’ve brought the circus into town, and I can’t even do anything to help…”

Donna cast a fretful look over her huge belly at the beautiful antique rug, where her son was waving a sippy cup around his head, giggling uncontrollably as Charlie and Zoey made faces at him. Abbey waved away her concerns with a fond smile.

“Don’t be silly, dear. It’s nice to have a baby around the house again, and we’re just so happy you’re giving us another little one to dote on so soon!” She shot Ellie a pointed glance. “I think it’s wonderful that you’re not waiting too long, it’s so nice when they’re close in age.” This time she actually walked over to her middle daughter and cupped her chin. “Isn’t it, Eleanor?”

“Mom…”

“Leave her alone, Mom,” Zoey piped up. “Josh and Donna are giving you another grandbaby, give the rest of us a chance.”

Abbey wheeled around.

“Us?”

Zoey hid her head in her hands. 

“Charlie?” Josh piped up, before Donna could hit him. She was moving rather slowly these days but she got her point across. “Oof.” Josh caught her fingers and pressed them to his lips. “Never mind.”

Rolling his eyes, Charlie stood up and tucked the tow-headed toddler under his arm.

“We’re going to say goodnight to the horses. Is that cool?”

Donna nodded gratefully.

“His coat’s in the mud room. Thanks, Charlie.”

“No problem. Where’s Edward?”

“They’re out back already,” Ellie answered. “He doesn’t much like the horses, though.”

“Like mother, like son,” came a voice from the hallway. Jed paused in the doorway and leaned on his stick, beaming at the assembled company. 

Charlie detoured on his way out, holding wriggling Noah up to kiss his Grandpa Jed. The little boy solemnly presented the old man with his dripping cup, and the former President took it with all the gravitas of a diplomatic presentation. Josh jumped to his feet to relieve his former boss of the sticky token of Noah’s utmost devotion. 

“D’you sleep well?”

He still had to bite back the “sir”. Jed smiled affectionately, silently nodding his thanks as Josh helped him across the room without seeming to.

“I don’t sleep, son, I just do as I’m told.”

His wife nodded sagely.

“There’s a lesson there, Joshua.”

Abbey kissed both men on the cheek as they passed her, then headed back to the kitchen.

“Girls?”

Zoey and Ellie scrambled to their feet, pausing to hug their Dad on their way to help prepare the next day’s enormous Thanksgiving feast. Josh turned to follow, keen to offset the noise and mess created by his energetic toddler by doing both his and Donna’s share of the work, but Jed was having none of it.

“I’m not going to get the two of you all to myself like this after the rest of the tribe gets here, son, sit down.” His eyes twinkled. “Donna and I, on the other hand, will have plenty of time to catch up, sitting here being waited on hand and foot.” He leaned out of his chair and just managed to catch her hand. “You have a much better excuse than I do, though, sweetheart. How are you feeling?”

She smiled at him.

“Much better than last time. I was miserable with Noah but this one’s been a breeze.” 

“And it’s a girl?”

“So they say. We thought about saving the surprise, but it’s hard enough for Noah to understand as it is, we decided he’d cope better with the idea of a brother or sister.”

“How’s he taking it?”

Josh chuckled.

“He doesn’t really get it. So far he’s asked if his sister can be Charlie, Lou, Techno the White House explosives sniffer dog, or the starfish from Finding Nemo.”

Jed laughed. 

“He’s in for a shock.”

“I think we all are. My Mom says going from one to two is harder than the first one.”

“And then with three you run out of hands and you’re really in trouble.”

Josh and Donna exchanged a glance.

“We think this might be it, actually.”

The old man gave them a long, thoughtful look.

“Nah, I don’t think so. Look at you two. You’re absolute naturals.”

“You trying for a baseball team?” Josh did the math in his head. Lizzie’s two, the twins, Mal, Ellie and CJ’s sons, their Noah and soon a baby girl. “In fact, this one’ll make nine.”

“Am I allowed to confess I don’t like baseball yet?”

Josh feigned outrage. Donna patted his knee.

Zoey popped her head out of the kitchen. 

“Donna, Mom says would you like a glass of milk…”

She disappeared before Donna could answer, and then walked in with a tray.

“Which apparently means, she thinks you should have a glass of milk and something to eat, and she is not to be trifled with.”

“Damn right!” came Abbey’s voice from the kitchen. 

“Thanks, sweetie.”

Zoey set the tray down and then perched on the couch, hands hovering in midair until Donna nodded encouragingly. Zoey gently laid her hands on Donna’s rounded belly, a slow smile spreading across her face. 

“What is that?”

Josh answered without even checking.

“Hiccups.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. Noah did it so much we got pretty freaked whenever he stopped.”

“Does it keep you awake?”

Donna smiled.

“You get used to it. At this point I can sleep through almost anything…”

“MAMA!!!!!!”

“…except that.” She stretched her arms out to the toddler hurtling towards her.

“Hello my love. Did you see the horses?”

“HAWSES!!!!!!!”

Josh rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, it’s bedtime.”

Scooping the boy up, he cuddled him for a moment before taking him round the room for kisses goodnight. When they got to Donna there were a tearful few seconds, and Josh pulled his son close for a quick man to man conference.

“Remember what we talked about? Mama needs to rest right now. Daddy’s going to put you to bed, and Mama will be there when you wake up.”

“’ess Daddy.”

“Say goodnight, buddy.”

“Goodgood!”

Waving like a star athlete on parade, the irrepressible little boy allowed himself to be carried off upstairs.

Zoey curled up next to Donna on the couch, a look of wonder on her face that Donna recognised only too well. She wondered how long it would be before their extended tribe’s youngest generation moved up from a baseball team to a football squad. 

The crunch of tires on gravel outside announced the arrival of the final members of the Bartlet clan. An excited squeal suggested that little Edward had spotted his number one favourite person in the world, his big cousin Gus. Jed and Donna exchanged wistful smiles as everyone else scrambled out onto the porch piled into the drive. Moving slowly and deliberately, he pulled himself up and crossed the distance from the armchair to the couch, lowering himself into the spot his youngest daughter had just vacated.

“May I?”

“Of course.”

He beamed as he laid his hands over her bump, and when she saw tears in his eyes she felt her own throat tightening.

“I hope you don’t mind that I’ve appointed myself Grandpa to your babies, my dear.”

“Of course not. You’d be unanimously elected anyway, I promise.”

He chuckled.

“I like the sound of that.” He looked down to where his hands were shaking ever so slightly, although whether that was his tremor or the vibrations of the baby’s hiccups, neither of them were sure. He sighed contentedly. “Your husband is… I’m proud to call him my son.”

Her eyes brimmed over then, and he fumbled in his pockets for a handkerchief.

“I won’t tell you not to cry, I know that’s the wrong thing to say at this stage of the proceedings.”

She laughed, wiping her cheeks.

“He knows that. It… it’s meant ever so much to him. I never met his Dad, and after Leo…” She trailed off, and Jed found her hand and squeezed. They both sniffed. “It’s important to me to know there’s someone… you’ve helped him learn how to be a father. I can never thank you enough for that.”

He hugged her as best he could, straightening up just as Annie came running in. Donna’s eyes widened as she took in the tall, elegant young woman, the very spit of her mother but with Zoey’s colouring. Gus wasn’t far behind, having grown at least another foot in the past year. Jed’s three daughters followed, arm in arm, closer than ever now. Donna felt a pang for her own family and was glad to remember her Mom would be meeting them in DC when they got back on Friday, ready to take over Noah-wrangling as soon his little sister announced herself. No sooner had she finished that thought than a sheepish looking Josh re-appeared with the little monster himself tuckered out over one shoulder. It was hardly surprising with all the excitement that he’d be impossible to put down tonight. She reached up, and Josh carefully moved the little boy onto her lap, where he flopped comfortably over her belly. She gently stroked his hair, smiling as Josh leaned in and kissed her cheek. 

The telephone rang, and she hastily covered her son’s ears, but Charlie hit speaker before the little boy could stir, and the sound of an unmistakeable giggle filled the room.

“CJ?”

“Chuckles!”

There was chaos for a moment as everyone said hello at once. Noah’s eyes fluttered open but he just stuck his thumb in his mouth and grabbed a handful of his Mama’s shirt. She rubbed his back gently, knowing he’d soon perk up at the sound of his Godmother’s voice. 

“HELLO!!!!!”

Or his best friend’s. The toddler threw himself off the couch and ran around in a circle, looking for the source of the voice.

“TOMTOMTOMTOMTOM!!!!”

CJ and Danny’s voices both came on the line.

“Hey Noah!”

The little boy halted in his tracks, his face twisted in a suspicious frown, looking as though he might accuse Grandpa Jed of having his Uncle Danny hidden under the rug. Hoping to avoid a meltdown, Josh carried him over to the phone, pointing to the handset.

“Just like at home, see?”

Noah nodded slowly.

“Anti Ceej?”

She giggled happily.

“Hey, baby boy.”

“Tomtom?”

“Noah!!!”

Everyone laughed as the two toddlers proceeded to bellow at each other across three thousand miles of telephone wire. 

On the couch, Jed found Donna’s hand again, and patted her fingers. 

“You did good, kiddo.”

“This part’s really mostly Josh’s fault.”

He chuckled as the little boy started jumping up and down, and his Daddy hastily prompted a second attempt at saying goodnight. Keen to ensure this time it was for good, Donna enlisted the closest available help – Lizzie – to get up off the couch. The two women hugged after she stood, and the eldest Bartlet daughter offered a tip learned after many years of settling kids amidst the hubbub of the farm. 

“There’s a blanket in the chest in the blue room. If you put that over the door it’ll keep it a bit quieter.”

Donna smiled gratefully.

“Thanks, Lizzie.”

“No problem. You alright to talk for a bit at some point?”

“Definitely.”

It wasn’t until after the Bartlets had left the White House that it had become apparent how much of an influence on the East Wing Elizabeth had been, albeit from a distance, and Donna had been only too happy to take CJ’s advice and invite her to continue making suggestions. They’d become closer still since Noah was born, Lizzie knowing better than anyone the pressure of having a “White House baby”. 

As Donna started walking, Lizzie cast a critical eye over her posture.

“Not long now.”

Donna nodded.

“There is no way this one’s making it to 40 weeks.”

“Just not tomorrow, OK?”

“If it was going to be tomorrow I’d be out there shovelling snow.”

Lizzie laughed.

“With Annie I helped paint the barn.”

“Well, it needs doing again,” Abbey piped up, “So you just let me know, honey, if you start getting restless.”

CJ’s trademark laugh echoed from the phone, and Donna called goodnight to her as she followed Josh and Noah towards the stairs. She paused at the door.

“Actually, guys, that’s goodnight from me to everyone. Josh’ll be back but Noah’s going to take some talking down and I’m ready to doze off.”

There was a chorus of goodnights as various people got up to hug her. Charlie offered her his arm and escorted her slowly up the stairs, sticking his tongue out at Noah over Josh’s shoulder ahead of them. At the top, he kissed her on the cheek.

“God bless you guys,” he whispered. She squeezed his hand. He reached over for a sleepy high five from Noah and then headed back down to join the raucous crowd in the den. 

Alone for the first time since arriving mid-afternoon, the Lyman family huddled together for a hug. Noah whimpered when Donna wouldn’t lift him out of his father’s arms, so they moved into the bedroom and curled up together on the big bed. The little boy took a firm hold of both his parents’ hands, one on each side, and closed his eyes without a murmur. Josh and Donna smiled wryly at each other over his head. 

“You should head back down, my love.”

He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

“In a bit. I’ll wait until we’re sure he’s out and help you get changed.”

She nodded gratefully. 

\---

When she woke up a couple of hours later, she wasn’t terribly surprised to find him still there, snoring softly, with their son sprawled across his chest. The election had been fairly easily won but with Noah at home, Donna herself essentially out of commission for a while, and a newborn any day, he needed every minute of sleep he could snatch. She rubbed her belly, smiling to herself as her daughter wriggled in response. She had no regrets about their decision to have a second baby so soon, nor about their commitment to maintain the bonds with their honorary family even if it did mean doing crazy things like driving from DC to New Hampshire when she was 38 weeks pregnant, but just thinking about 2am feeds made her feel exhausted beyond belief. Remembering what Jed had said about third babies, she rolled her eyes in the dark. If she was completely honest with herself, she knew he probably had a point. Even after nine months of discomfort with Noah, she’d already known she wanted another, and in the waning days of this happier pregnancy she found it hard to imagine she’d never get to do this again. Josh fretted about being too old, but he looked younger now than he had four years ago, and Millie kept threatening to lend Noah out to her other patients, such was the improvement in his Daddy’s vitals since the little dude had been born. 

“Ow.”

Maybe not his sleeping patterns, though. Donna tried not to laugh as Josh sleepily hauled the toddler over to the travel crib and then stumbled back, rubbing his nose. 

“He punched me,” he mumbled.

“Superman dream,” she guessed, holding up her hand to stop him before he lay back down. Nodding, he circled the bed and helped her up.

They talked quietly as they belatedly got ready for bed, confirming each other’s suspicions that Charlie and Zoey were obviously keen to start a family of their own, marvelling at how big Gus and Annie were and exchanging disbelieving looks at the idea that their tiny brood would one day be off to college too. When they were snuggled together under the patchwork quilt, Josh began his nightly ritual, sliding down until he was level with Donna’s belly and giving the baby a quick rundown of the day. She giggled as he recounted the pardoning of the turkey that had taken place that morning – “Don’t tell Uncle Matt, but he looked kinda silly” – but found herself growing tearful again as he explained why they’d joined the Bartlets and not his Mom or her parents for the holiday.

“Your Grandpa Jed already loves you so much, baby girl, and he’s tough as old boots, but he hasn’t been doing so good recently. And this is what we do, you’ll see. We make the most of the people we love. Even if we can’t do anything else, we show up and we spend time with them when they’re hurt or they’re sick. And it’s…” He trailed off, hiding his face against the curve of her belly, sniffing. She stroked his hair, and then softly tapped a spot just above his head. The answering ripple made him laugh, and he planted a kiss on either side of her hand and then one on her knuckles. “Sweet dreams, baby girl,” he whispered. “We’re going to meet you really, really soon – not too soon,” he added hastily, “and I can’t wait to get to know you. I love you.”

Donna stroked his hair as he ran his hands over her bump. He shuffled back up and kissed her, lingering. 

“And you, my love…”

“Mmhmm?”

He touched his lips to hers, nudging the side of her nose with his. He barely moved back far enough to speak again, his breath mingling with hers.

“…I am more thankful for you than I can ever say.”

“I know.” She closed the distance between them for a moment. “You too. Every day.”

“Happy Thanksgiving.”

“Happy Thanksgiving, my love.”


End file.
